Oh What A Night...

Where do I start? Lately I have been feeling like a big, giant JINX. My new shiny HD flat screen TV that I got as a bonus from work last year has been on the fritz (the screen goes black and then it turns off - and won't turn back on); my desktop computer won't go past the XP screen; the light in my bedroom doesn't work, yet the fan attached to it does; and my Garmin wouldn't work for a bit last week either. I even joked to a friend that I think I must be emitting a bizarro electrical field to have all these problems going on.

So tonight my huge 25 lb beast of a cat Roo decided he wanted to go outside. First, let me say that my (very spoiled cats) don't go outside. My dad made me a bench that is screened in all around the sides and has a door at the end. A virtual outdoor palace for the kitties. Roo LOVES to go outside. Gracie, my newest addition (long story short she was brought home from a non no-kill shelter if you get my drift during my mom's search for a new kitten last winter), was a stray - and hasn't really desired to go out much, but she does LOVE to watch the birds, etc. So a couple of times, when she lets me, I'll put her in the cage with Roo and they are two peas in a pod, happy as clams out there. This is Gracie pictured above.

This was the scene tonight. I got gabby on the phone with my good friend Suzy and noticed it was getting dark - time to get the babies in the house. Roo -- not a problem, he jumps out of the cage, I pick him up and in he goes. Gracie, tonight decided she didn't want to come in. So as I am trying to reach and grab her - she shimmies out of the cage and darts across the lawn. Around to the front of the house she goes - and under the GIANT pine tree in the front yard. And by giant, I meant GIANT. I tried crawling under the tree -- very painful, and it just scared her more. In a total panic, I called my mom, who arrived just as one of the neighbors next door was coming home - and also figured out what was going on. My neighbors rock -- more on them another day... a great fun, couple (Rick and Marie) and their triplets (2 boys and a girl) heading into their sophomore year in high school. Marie and the kids, my mom and I tried to wrangle her in. But alas, it just scared my girl more to be "chased". At one point, we had all the doors to my house open thinking she might run in - and she got close, but my mom was sitting on the porch and potentially scared her. Mind you my mom isn't scary at all -- and Gracie associates her with being fed... but EVERYTHING was scaring her at that moment.

By this time I was COMPLETELY panicked. I told my mom I didn't think I'd see her again. With her stray background, not knowing the area - and it being so dark -- I thought I'd lost my sweet, cuddly girl who loves to sleep with me all night. My neighbors must think I am NUTS -- carrying on the way I was -- because I was pretty much insane - crawling under trees etc.

We decided, after she CLIMBED the 2nd giant pine tree in yet another neighbors backyard, that we needed to let her calm down. The risk in walking away and letting her come to me -- was what if she DIDN'T come?? I put some food out (she's total pig) and are you ready for this? No seriously, you need to sit down and prepare yourself for what I am about to say. I got my aerobed out of the basement and set it up on my back porch. Again, she loves to sleep with me and I couldn't go in and go to bed without her. So mom left, neighbors went inside and I set up camp on the backporch in aerobed land. I'd call to her, shine the flashlight (I could see her glowing eyes, even 100 feet away) and clank her food bowls together.

Then after a bit, I saw her eyes on the ground. She was out of the tree!!! I snuck over to the other back door on my house and opened it again, just slightly. Back at my aerobed post, I could hear her crying - and it looked like she was headed to the front of the house again... and giant pine tree #1. So back I went, but I couldn't locate her. I went to go assume the position again, and as I past by the now open back door -- guess who had wandered in and was on the basement steps... yup -- my little calico girl, Gracie.

So laugh at me all you want, with twigs in my hair, and sap on my legs. My kitties are my family - and will be even with the additional little Russian around. While I know it's different, I guess it shows me that if I'll go to those extremes for the little furry ones, this little guy will be ever so cared for!

Night all -- I'm going to try to sleep now, even though my adrenaline is still racing from Graciegate '08!!